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Assam polls: EC orders repolling, suspends four officials

By
The Commune
-
Assam

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday suspended four officials and ordered repolling at a polling booth in Assam after a video surfaced on social media reportedly showing an EVM being found in a car belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Patharkadi constituency.

The incident allegedly happened after the second round of polling in Assam.

“The Presiding Officer was issued a show-cause notice for violation of the transport protocol. Thereafter, the PO and three other officials have been placed under suspension,” the EC said in an official statement.

It further stated, “On examination, the polled EVM comprising BU, CU, and VVPAT was found to be with its seal intact without any damage whatsoever. All the items have been deposited in the strong room.”

The statement also said that the EC has decided to do re-polling at number 149-Indira MV School of LAC 1 Ratabari (SC) as an added precaution despite the fact that the seals of the EVM were found intact. The Commission has also sought a report on the incident from the Special Observer.

In its factual report on the incident, the EC said that the polling party of No. 149- Indira M.V. School of LAC 1 Ratabari (SC) met with “an unfortunate incident” on April 1. The vehicle carrying the polling party broke down and due to the traffic congestion and the prevailing weather condition, the party “became detached from its convoy”, the report said.

“The party alighted from the vehicle and called the Sector Officer Ajoy Sutradhar on his mobile and informed him. While the sector officer was arranging for an alternate vehicle, polling party decided to arrange a vehicle of its own so as to reach the Material Receipt Centre faster since they were in custody of polled EVMs”, the report states.

“At about 2120 hrs, the polling party hailed a passing vehicle and boarded it along with their EVM and other things without checking the ownership of the vehicle bearing the number AS-10B-0022.As reported by the polling party, they moved towards Karimganj and as they reached Kanaishil in Karimganj at about 2200 hrs, they had to slow down in the traffic. As they slowed down, they were surrounded by a mob of about 50 people which started pelting stones at them. The mob also started abusing them and did not allow the vehicle to pass. When they asked the leader of the mob, he replied that it was the vehicle of Krishnendu Paul who is a contesting candidate of a neighbouring constituency (Patharkandi LAC-2) and he levelled allegations that the EVM was being taken to be tampered with”, the report adds.

The report further says that it was only then that they realised that something was amiss and alerted the Sector Officer.

“However, a larger crowd had gathered by then and they were attacked and held hostage by a mob along with the EVM in the vehicle at 2145 hrs alleging that the EVM was being taken to be tampered with. Immediately after receiving information about the incident, DEO Karimganj along with SP Karimganj rushed to the spot and reached there at 2220 hrs. Also in the mean while, the antecedents of the vehicle were ascertained and it was found to be was registered in the name of Madhumita Paul, Wife of contesting candidate, Patharkandi LAC No 2, Krishnendu Paul”, the EC report states.

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The indelible scars left during the DMK’s rule

By
Kaarmega Kuzhali
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dmk manifesto gram panchayat

The assembly elections that are to be held on April 6, 2021, can be considered a pivotal moment in Tamil Nadu’s political history. The results of this election will determine whether the 60-year-long bipolar contest between the ADMK and the DMK will continue.

For the first time in his life, DMK leader and dynast politician MK Stalin has been declared the chief ministerial candidate at the age of 67. Though the fact that the DMK is targeting the post of Chief Minister and facing an election is not worthy of shock, what is new is that this time is that it is MK Stalin is the one who is at the forefront of this. Stalin ascended to the post of the party president under the pretext that he is the son of Karunanidhi, the late DMK president who was also the face of the party. He is now contesting for Chief Ministership of Tamil Nadu using the same strategy. The indelible scars of Karunanidhi’s reign that the people of Tamil Nadu faced can be repeated if Stalin is elected the Chief Minister in this assembly election.

These are things that could potentially happen if M.K. Stalin is elected as CM:

1. The law against land-grabbing was the first one of its kind to have been passed by the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for the people affected by the DMK’s land-grabbing attempts. In just two months after the passing of the law, the number of complaints from the affected population that the DMK had intimidated while in office had exceeded 4,000. The number of complaints from affected citizens alleging that the DMK has illegally taken away their land while in office had surpassed 4,000 in just two months. Cases, where DMK cadres and leaders have been accused of grabbing the lands of innocent citizens despite being out of office for ten years, are something that has become commonplace. A land grabbing case was filed even recently against Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin by a person named Sheshadri, which was settled out of court later.

2. The film industry will also be plagued by events such as the fact that only production companies established by the DMK’s heirs will be allowed to make films, and that theatres would be made unavailable for release if the films were made elsewhere, and it is expected that there will be a lack of opportunities for actors and actresses who did not support the DMK’s associated companies. The actor known to millions of Tamils as “THALA” said at a function that he was “intimidated” to attend the event, to which Karunanidhi did not react.

3. The plight of Srilankan Tamils will grow worse if they come to power. This is evident in the way in which the DMK handled the Eelam-Tamil issue better. This is especially the case because it was during the same period of time that the party was instrumental in Congress winning all 40 constituencies in 2004 and ruling the country. Even while being in a wheelchair, Karunanidhi travelled to Delhi to buy Union Ministerial portfolios for his son Alagiri, daughter Kanimozhi and his relative Dayanidhimaran. But in the Eelam-Tamil affair, a two-hour fasting stunt between breakfast and lunch was enough for the Muthamizharignar.

4. Along with the false promise of two acres of land, it is to be noted that the DMK MLA slapped a vice-chancellor of the university in Thirunelveli. It is of no doubt that the rowdies like Pottu Suresh and Attack Pandi, the killing of two ministers in front of the police inspector Vetrivel by rowdies in Tirunelveli, and the burning of three journalists in the Dinakaran office in the heir fight will repeat their history if they come to power again.

5. Provoking law students to riot in front of police, police and lawyer protests inside the Madras High Court in 2009, and destroying the Checkers Hotel on Anna Road in Chennai are just a few of the DMK’s atrocities that brought Tamil Nadu to its knees. Furthermore, there was a 14-16 hour power outage, which totally demoralised the Tamil Nadu industrial environment. All these will definitely occur in the future if the DMK comes to power because such is their poor style of governance.

Having showcased such a regime from 2006 to 2011, how can the DMK give good governance if they win now? Furthermore, how can Stalin, who claims to be Karunanidhi’s son, provide good governance which is free of Karunanidhi’s traces? These are questions that the DMK should definitely answer.

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Work on foundation of UAE’s first Hindu temple almost done; construction to be completed by 2023

By
The Commune
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UAE Hindu temple

In exciting news for Hindus that has emerged from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the foundation work of the UAE’s first traditional Hindu temple will be completed by next month in Abu Dhabi, reports Swarajya.

The foundation was laid in 2019 and the temple is expected to be completed in 2023.

The temple complex will have several shrines dedicated to Hindu gods. It will also have a visitor’s centre, prayer halls, library, classroom, community centre, amphitheater, play areas, gardens, books and gift shops, food court and other facilities.

As per news reports published in the Khaleej Times, foundation work is in the final stage, rising to a height of 4.5 metres from the ground level. The installation of pink sandstones and marbles will start from May.

“I am monitoring the quality and progress of this project. I feel very blessed to be a part of this project. This is a one-time opportunity,” said project engineer Ashok Kondeti.

“From January we have poured concrete of around 4,500 cubic metres and backfilling with 3,000 cubic metres. We have observed that the concrete is gaining strength. This is a good thing for this project. We are doing the backfilling layer by layer with sand available on site and there is no need to import the material from outside,” he said.

“In this foundation, we have two tunnels. For the tunnels, stones have been received from India and we will start the placing by next week. We can complete the total foundation work by the end of April. So, we can start the actual stonework in the month of May, he added.

Also, a significant portion of the stonework has been done in the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat by more than 2,000 sculptors which will be shipped and assembled over the foundation in Abu Dhabi.

The stoneworks will showcase Indian epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, scriptures and ancient stories from India. The temple will be built according to the ancient Hindu ‘shilpa shastras’ – Sanskrit texts on architecture.

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US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard condemns genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh

By
The Commune
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Tulsi Gabbard Bangaldesh

Former Presidential Candidate and US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard on Friday condemned the the violence against Hindus and religious minorities in the Muslim-majority nation of Bangladesh. Gabbard also appealed to the leaders of the US and the world to combat the “Islamist exclusivist ideology”.

In a 4-minute video uploaded on Twitter, Gabbard said, “As a Member of Congress, I introduced a resolution that called for the protection of Hindus and religious minorities in Bangladesh, people who continue to be targeted and persecuted to this day.”

Speaking on the persecution of Hindus, Gabbard said, “The height of this persecution actually began fifty years ago, when the Pakistani army systematically murdered, raped and drove from their homes millions of Bengali Hindus because of their religion and ethnicity.”

“March 25th, 1971 was the beginning of a systematic targeting of Hindus in Bangladesh by the Pakistani military. It began in Hindu neighborhoods and villages, first at Jagannath Hall, which was a Hindu dormitory in Dhaka University, where five to ten thousand people were killed on that first night alone”, Gabbard added.

“This genocidal campaign continued for ten months, resulting in tow to three million people killed, hundreds of thousands of women and girls raped, and more than ten million forced to flee their homes”, Gabbard said.

Tulsi Gabbard, in her video, also pointed out that US Senator Ted Kennedy had visited the Bangladeshi refugees at that time. Shook by the Hindu genocide, Kennedy had then said, “Nothing is more clear or more easily documented than the systematic campaign of terror and its genocidal consequences launched by the Pakistani army on the night of March 25th. Hardest hit have been members of the Hindu community who have been robbed of their lands and shops, systematically slaughtered, and in some places, painted with yellow patches marked H.”

The Hindu American lawmaker said that the Islamist persecution of Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh didn’t end with Bangladesh’s independence. That campaign continues to this day with horrific targeted attacks, murders, homes being burned down and families who continue to be forced to flee.

“In the early 1900s, Hindus made up roughly 33% of the Bangladeshi population. Because of the persistent Islamist campaign targeting Hindus, just 8% of Bangladesh’s population are Hindus today”, Gabbard said.

Referring to the recent attacks on Hindus by Bangladesh’s Muslims, Gabbard said, “Just a few days ago, in Bangladesh, hundreds of hardline Islamist extremists attacked Hindu temples, destroyed a train, set fire to government buildings, the press club and public buses, leaving dead and injured behind.”

Gabbard also mentioned Islam’s record of persecution of Christians in the Middle East.

She also referred to the Hindu and Buddhist past of Afghanistan before the Islamic invasions, and the persecution of these religions once Islam gained a foothold in the region. Gabbard noted that religious minorities in Afghanistan make up less than 1% of the country’s population.

“Until the leaders of the United States and the world condemn and commit to defeating the Islamist exclusivist ideology, an ideology which holds that all non-Muslims and many so-called heretical Muslims need to wiped from the face of the earth, enslaved or, at the very best, kept as second-class citizens without the right to own land, worship openly, et cetera like in Pakistan, the jihadist campaign of terror will continue throughout the world.”

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“Casteism can be abolished only if people from different castes have sexual affairs”: DMK candidate Dr Ezhil

By
The Commune
-

A campaign video of  Dr Ezhilan, DMK’s Thousand Lights candidate has been doing the rounds on social media and is going viral because of its derogatory nature and the words used in the video.

Dr Ezhilan, who is featured in the video to be addressing a gathering is observed to say the following: “A lot of people claim that they will cling on to their caste until death. Even in terms of their economic stability, there is a question of upper caste and lower caste. But, only when there are two people involving in intercourse, they do not think of caste. This means that the only way to get rid of casteism is by having sexual affairs.”

He goes on to say that honour killings are happening only because those who belong to the so-called upper caste do not want their sons or daughters to sleep with those of the lower caste, and if that is done, there is no reason for casteism to exist.

A lot of the Twitterati have commented that he is glorifying rape and rapists by talking in this manner. Some even suggested that he was demeaning women and sexualising them as objects of pride and caste symbols. The video of this speech has spread like wildfire on social media and is adding fuel to the already rampant fire that is the DMK’s propaganda to derogate women.

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Dozens killed in Taiwan after train derails in tunnel

By
The Commune
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A train that was fully packed with people who were on their way home to see their families for the Easter weekend crashed in a tunnel, killing dozens and injuring several. According to survivors’ accounts, it was jolted by a heavy crash, flew off the rails and slammed into the walls of a tunnel.

Local news publishers in Taiwan record the crash of the eight-car Taroko Express train to be the worst disaster of the country in four decades and said that the train, which was travelling to Taitung, had come off the rails in a tunnel just north of Hualien. The train had allegedly been carrying over 490 people, of which at least 51 people, including two train drivers, have been reported dead.

According to the BBC, some people at the back of the train were able to walk away unscathed, while 100 were rescued from the first four carriages. Many of the dead, injured and trapped were in four crumpled carriages inside the tunnel.

It is to be noted that the island’s worst crash in recent history was in 1991, when 30 passengers were killed and 112 injured after two trains collided.

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Myanmar refuses to accept Rohingya girl deported by Assam

By
The Commune
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A 14-year-old Rohingya girl who was taken to the international border between India and Myanmar, which is situated in Manipur, by the Assam government officials for deportation was refused for immigration by the Myanmar government.

This girl had been found in Silchar’s Rongpur in an unconscious state two years ago, following which she was handed to a shelter. The Assam officials had then moved for her to be deported back to Myanmar. After the centre had cleared her deportation on Friday, officials from the Assam government took the 14-year old from Silchar to Moreh in Manipal.

But, the Myanmar government refused to take her back since the check gate in the international border was shut in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to this, the Myanmar police had said that their country was not a conducive state to accept those who had been deported.

Following this, the girl was sent back to a shelter home in Assam. Efforts are being taken to repatriate the girl amidst the ongoing crisis posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, Assam is all set to face elections in the upcoming week.

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MoRTH Achieves Record-breaking Milestone of Constructing 37 kilometres per day of Highways in FY 2020-21

By
The Commune
-

Tremendous progress has been achieved in the building of National Highways across the country in the last few years by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The Ministry has achieved the record-breaking milestone of constructing 37 kilometres of highways per day in the year 2020-21, which is unprecedented. Minister for Road Transport & Highways and MSME, Shri Nitin Gadkari last evening felicitated the officials of M/o RTH and presented the letters of appreciation. The Minister said that this would not have been possible without the dedication and teamwork of the officials and other stakeholders. He said that these achievements are unprecedented and have no parallel in any other country in the world.

Placed below, in brief, are the major achievements:

  • Over the last 7 years, the length of National Highways has gone up by 50% from 91,287 km (as of April 2014) to 1,37,625 km (as on 20 March 2021);
  • Total budgetary outlay increased by 5.5 times, from INR 33,414 Cr in Financial Year 2015 to INR 1,83,101 Cr in Financial Year 2022;
  • The sanctioned amount has increased by 126% in Financial Year 2021 over Financial Year 2020 despite Covid-19 related impact. Sanctioned length in kilometres has also increased by 9% in Financial Year 2021 over Financial Year 2020;
  • Average annual project award (annual average award length) during Financial Year 2015 to Financial Year 2021 has increased by 85% compared to FY10 to FY14
  • Average annual construction (average annual construction length) during FY2015 to FY2021 has increased by 83% compared to FY2010 to FY2014
  • The cumulative cost of ongoing project works has increased by 54% at the end of Financial Year 2021 compared to Financial Year 2020 (as of March 31st)

(Source: PIB)

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“We offer our complete support to the BJP”: Council of Hindu Temple Priests

By
The Commune
-

The Council of Temple Priests’ Council has expressed its full support for the BJP and its ally the AIADMK in the forthcoming assembly elections.

With the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu set to take place on the 6th, the ruling AIADMK and the BJP have begun to gain support from various fronts. In light of the same, the Council of Temple Priests has given their support. The resolution was passed at the state general meeting of the Council of Temple Priests in Pollachi.

The BJP’s election promises were discussed at the public meeting. During the meeting, the priests had demanded various things including tax exemption for pooja items, subsidy for Amarnath and Gaya pilgrimage, free house for priests near the temple where the pooja is held, monthly allowance, implementation of the Priests Welfare Board and all the priests agreed that they would vote for the BJP alliance.

It is noteworthy that, at present, the priests have also given their support to the BJP alliance in light of all the incidents that have happened off late in terms of the DMK speaking disparagingly about women and the Hindus.

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Income Tax raid at DMK leader Senthil Balaji’s house in Karur

By
The Commune
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Stalin Senthil Balaji DMK

Income Tax sleuths on Friday conducted searches at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)’s Karur candidate Senthil Balaji’s residence in Karur. Earlier on the same day, the Income Tax Department also carried out raids at four properties in Chennai that are associated with DMK chief Stalin’s son-in-law Sabareesan and daughter Senthamarai. Raids have also been reported from DMK Anna Nagar candidate MK Mohan’s house.

According to reports, Sabareesan is out of town. DMK leaders were said to have come to Sabareesan’s home as a show of support.

The AIADMK had only recently filed a complaint against DMK’s Karur constituency candidate Senthil Balaji. His comments that sand mining in riverbeds would be allowed and given free rein if the DMK came to power, had caused controversy following which a complaint was filed with the Election Commission.

Recently, the Central Crime Branch, Job Racket Wing, filed a chargesheet against Senthil Balaji for his alleged involvement in a scam pertaining to recruitment of transport corporations when he was the Transport Minister in 2011-15.

Meanwhile, the DMK has approached the Election Commission over the Income Tax searches that were conducted in the premises of Stalin’s daughter Senthamarai in Chennai and accused the Income Tax department of acting on the behest of its political rivals.

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TheCommune
The Commune is a news and views portal focusing on social and political issues of the southern part of India with a focus on Tamil Nadu.
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